Cyprus and France to sign Status of Forces Agreement in Nicosia

Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin are scheduled to sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in Nicosia this Monday. The signing ceremony will take place at the Filoxenia Conference Center following an informal meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Affairs (Defense) held under the Cypriot EU Presidency. The agreement aims to facilitate the hosting of French military forces on Cypriot territory. President Nikos Christodoulides had previously announced in April, during President Emmanuel Macron's visit, that the agreement would be finalized by June. The primary focus of this bilateral defense cooperation is the facilitation of humanitarian operations in the region. This formalizes the legal framework for the presence and support of French personnel on the island.